An aide to the Prime Minister says constitutional reforms will only be carried out after a consensus is reached among all political actors.
Rana Sanaullah, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs. SCREEN CAPTURE
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Saturday rejected speculation about an imminent constitutional amendment, saying such a move would not be carried out without broad political consensus among all stakeholders.
Rumors about a proposed 28th constitutional amendment have been circulating since last year and have become stronger lately. Amid growing speculation, Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said a day earlier that the government had not contacted his party regarding any proposed constitutional amendment, while warning that passage of such legislation would not be possible without its support.
Speaking during a private television program”Jirga”, Sanaullah was non-committal when asked about the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment.
Read: There is no progress towards the 28th constitutional amendment, says the Minister of Justice
“It is agreed that any amendment that comes will be the 28th Amendment, because the 27th has already been done. So now, we should wait for the 28th Amendment,” he said.
However, he did not confirm whether such an amendment was being considered, adding that issues potentially related to a 28th amendment were of fundamental importance and remained part of the ongoing dialogue between political parties and their leaders.
Responding to a question, he backed Bilawal’s stance that no constitutional amendment could be passed without the support of the PPP.
“Yes, absolutely. You are right that no amendment can be made without them, and you are also right to the extent that they have not been informed that we are going to introduce any 28th Amendment,” he said.
However, he added that the PPP itself was aware of the problems at hand and also had proposals to resolve them.
“Consensus building has not yet started. Until there is consensus, no progress will be made towards any amendment,” he said.
Read also: The PPP despises the government’s adjustment plan number 28
Discussing broader fiscal and governance issues, including local government systems, the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, population control and resource distribution, he said the existing framework left the federal government with very limited fiscal space after debt service and defense spending.
“The distribution of resources between the provinces and the federation under the NFC leaves the federation with almost nothing after paying off external debt and defense expenditure,” he said, adding that the matter was under serious consideration and required a viable solution.
Expressing concern over a possible future water crisis, the adviser said India was planning to build five to six dams on the Chenab river, projects which he said could be completed between 2029 and 2030.
He warned that in such a scenario, India would be in a position to control the flow of the river.
“India will use water as a weapon. When we need it, they can block it, and when we don’t need it, they can suddenly release it, causing floods here,” he said.
He added that Pakistan should urgently consider alternative strategies, including the construction of water reservoirs, to address the potential challenge.
